Demographics
The population of Puerto Rico is approximately 3.9 million
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). Recent genetic research proves
that the majority of Puerto Ricans
are of mixed European and African descent with varying degrees
of American Indian influence (The Great Puerto Rican Family,
2004). Ninety-one percent of the population lives in the island’s
urban centers.
The Great Puerto Rican Family (La
Gran Familia Puertorriqueña)
“The concept of the Great Puerto Rican
Family describes how Puerto Rican people see themselves: the
authentic inheritors of an ancestral history. First used
in the 1770s, the term helps convey the idea that the Puerto
Rican people, no matter what their racial background, are
part of a unique Puerto Rican culture born of a mixture of
European, African, and Indian traditions.”
(The
Great Puerto Rican Family, 2004).
Language
The official languages of Puerto Rico are Spanish
and English (Puerto Rico,
2004). Spanish is generally spoken in business, and taught
as the first language in schools. English is taught from kindergarten
through high school. Some private schools offer “English only”
programs where English is spoken exclusively (Rivera, 2005).
Health
Health services in Puerto Rico are managed by the Department
of Health, which is seeking to delegate the delivery of services
to the private sector, thereby creating one healthcare system.
This change would curb the dramatic recent increase in healthcare
costs and avoid duplication of functions. Public health authorities
appear to be focusing less on the actual delivery of daily
health services and more on the promotion of healthier lifestyles.
The island is divided into 7 regions and 2 sub-regions that
are further divided into 16 areas. People access medical
services at primary healthcare centers, which then make referrals
to higher levels within the system. Puerto Ricans have an
average life expectancy of 74.5 years. Heart disease and
cancer are the two leading causes of death (Pan
American Health Organization, 2001).
Educational
System
In Puerto Rico, where compulsory education is deemed very
important, sixty percent of the population has received a
high school diploma or better. (Rivera-Schoendorf, n.d.) Most
students are enrolled in public schools, although some do
go to private schools. Puerto Rico has “one of the highest”
college education rates in the world, with 56% of college-age
students attending institutions of higher learning (Rivera,
2005b).
The public school system is administered by the Department
of Education and has an organizational structure that is similar
to the grade-level designations used in the United States.
| Grade |
Level |
Grading |
| Post-Graduate |
Higher
Education (Optional) |
Letter
Grading |
| Graduate |
| Undergraduate |
| College
Prep- Vocational |
High
School(Compulsory) |
Letter
grading |
| 12th
grade - 18 |
| 11th
grade - 17-18 |
| 10th
grade - 16-17 |
| 9th
Grade – 14-15 |
Secondary(Compulsory) |
Letter
grading |
| 8th
Grade – 13-14 |
| 7th
Grade – 12-13 |
| 6th
Grade – 11-12 |
Primary(Compulsory) |
QualitativeGrading;Satisfactory
& Unsatisfactory |
| 5th
Grade – 10-11 |
| 4th
Grade – 9-10 |
| 3rd
Grade – 8-9 |
| 2nd
Grade – 7-8 |
| 1rst grade –6-7 |
| Preschool
3-5 |
Preschool Level(Optional) |
|
Adapted from: Rivera, M. (2005c). Welcome
to Puerto Rico: People. Retrieved from http://welcome.topuertorico.org/people.shtml
School is compulsory for those between ages 5 and 18 (primary
and secondary school years; Rivera, 2005c). Educational institutions
are abundant in Puerto Rico (over 1500 public schools, over
500 private schools, and over 50 colleges). The overall literacy
rate is 90% (Rivera, 2005c). Puerto Rico allocates approximately
40% of its budget for education (Rivera, 2005c). The medium
of instruction in most schools is Spanish, but English is
taught as part of the curriculum from kindergarten through
high school (Rivera, 2005c).
Puerto
Rican Holidays
|
Date |
English Name |
Spanish Name |
Remarks |
| January 1 |
New
Year’s Day |
Año
Nuevo |
|
| January 5 |
Three
Wise Men Eve |
Víspera
de los Tres Reyes Magos |
Traditionally, children
leave a glass of water for the Three Wise Men and a box
with grass for their camels. |
| January 6 |
Three
Wise Men |
Día
de los Tres Reyes Magos |
Traditionally, children
will find that the camels ate the grass and the Three
Wise Men drank the water they left for them the previous
day. |
| First Monday in January |
Birthday
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. |
Nacimiento
de Martin Luther King, Jr.;Conmemoración del Natalicio
de Martin Luther King, Jr. |
|
| Third Monday in February |
President’s
Day |
Día
del presidente;Natalicio de Washington |
|
| July 4 |
Independence
Day |
4
de Julio;Día de la Independencia;Día de
la Independencia de Estados Unidos |
|
| July 25 |
Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico |
25
de JulioConmemoración del ELA;Conmemoración
del Estado Libre y Asociado |
|
| First Monday in September
|
Labor
Day |
Día
del Trabajo; Second Monday in October; Columbus
Day Descubrimiento de América |
|
| November 11 |
Veteran's
Day |
Día
del Veterano;Día de la Recordación |
Official national
celebration held at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery |
| Fourth Thursday in
November |
Thanksgiving
Day |
Acción
de Gracias;Día de Acción de Gracias;Día
del Pavo |
|
| December 24 |
Christmas
Eve Fin de Año |
Nochebuena;Día
de Nochebuena |
Children in Puerto
Rico do NOT leave cookies or milk for Santa. |
| December 25 |
Christmas |
Día
de Navidad;Navidad;Nacimiento del niñito
Jesús;Día del niño Jesús |
Traditionally, Santa
Claus will leave the Christmas presents under the Christmas
tree. |
| December
31 |
New
Year's Eve |
Año
Viejo |
|
Other
Elements of Popular Culture
As is the case with other aspects of Puerto Rican culture,
the indigenous Taino inflence, as well as the Spanish (Latin)
and African heritages of the island have all shaped Puerto
Rican music
(Music of Puerto Rico, 2005). The different genres of Puerto
Rican music include the bomba, danza (the style of
the Puerto Rican national anthem), décima, seis,
aguinaldo, and plena.
Most Americans are familiar with Puerto Rican pop and salsa
music through such internationally famous performers as Ricky
Martin , Jennifer
Lopez, José
Feliciano, Marc
Anthony, and Tito
Puente and his Latin Jazz Ensemble (Music of Puerto
Rico Foundation, 2004). Although Puerto Rican music originated
among the Puerto Rican community in New York (drawing from
Cuban and Afro-Caribbean roots), some would argue that the
center of salsa has moved back to
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